Trout Spey: The Art of Fly Tying
Have you ever had a fly fall apart or lost a fish because the hook bent out on you? Me too, and chances are, you didn’t tie that fly. If you had, then you’d have no one to blame for the shoddy workmanship but yourself of course.
Part therapy, part work of art, fly tying is a major hobby of mine. It provides a little income occasionally, but most importantly, it gives me the chance to be creative.
There is nothing more satisfying than catching a fish on a fly you tied. Often times, I’m shocked a fish took my fly as I’m usually throwing an “experimental” fly out there, but with every grab and fish caught on a new fly, my options grow and so does my confidence and enjoyment.
What I’ve learned about tying flies and creating custom patterns is: all it takes is a solid understanding of how to work with each type of material and a little patience. Once you have a good grasp on the basics, the sky is the limit; let the creating begin!
Most of the patterns I use personally are fairly sparse and light. Almost all of the ones that work, were purely based on trial and error (with a huge splash of luck).
Now though, I definitely see myself creating flies with a lot of thought as to how they’ll swim and what I’m imitating. Luckily, the trout in Alaska are hungry, so they are great test subjects!
If you’ve never tied a fly in your life, YouTube is an excellent resource. From the basic tools and fundamentals, to extremely intricate patterns, there’s almost no pattern you can’t learn to tie from the internet.
I encourage you to give it a try; there are other resources like local fly shops that generally put on tying clinics for a small fee. Usually, materials and equipment will be provided for you.
Eventually you’ll have mountains of materials and so many flies, you won’t know what to do with them all! Good luck and tight lines!
